How Gary Gait developed 1 of college lacrosse’s largest coaching trees

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When the lacrosse season went on pause at the start of the pandemic, Syracuse women’s lacrosse head coach Gary Gait spent some of his extra time on Zoom with former Syracuse players. 

He held a “coaching clinic” for former SU women’s lacrosse players who made the jump to coaching at schools around the country after playing at SU. In a series of virtual discussions with a group of former players, he spoke to alumni dating back to the beginning of Gait’s tenure in 2007. Several coaches also said that they use several of Gait’s strategies with their own teams.

“(Gait)’s the greatest player to ever play our sport,” said Boston College women’s lacrosse associate head coach Kayla Treanor. “He really teaches you the game at another level, and I think it’s such a gift he gave us.”

Treanor was an attack under Gait from 2013-16, finishing her career fourth on the Division I all-time scoring list with 393 points. She now sits at seventh on the all-time scoring list. Treanor grew up a “coach’s kid” and was a water girl for the high school basketball teams that her dad coached. She loved watching her dad coach and always knew she wanted to be a lacrosse coach after college. 

Gait allows his attacks to read the defense and make their own decisions on offense, which Treanor said ultimately allows them to understand the game more. Gait is a sort of a player’s coach who gives his players the opportunity to deviate from his game plan and be more creative on the field, Treanor said. She pointed out that creativity led to SU’s offensive success this season as the Orange averaged 14.71 goals per game.

Gait’s coaching style also allows players to be “trusted in bigger moments,” Treanor said. One of these moments occurred when Treanor’s Eagles played against the Orange in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinal. For the game’s final dagger, SU freshman Emma Ward faked a pass to escape the motion set and charged the 8-meter for a score. 

Nicole Levy played under Gait from 2016-19, and she now serves as an assistant lacrosse coach at Colorado. She said the freedom Gait gives his players is an aspect that’s unique to Syracuse. 

Levy played “sidearm” in high school, a style that many coaches told her wouldn’t work at the college level. But when she attended her first Syracuse lacrosse camp in high school, the opening drill was sidearm partner passing. 

“Not every coach is willing to let their players be who they are and be creative to try something new,” Levy said. 

One of the reasons many players on Gait’s team become coaches is because of the types of players that he recruits, Levy said. The “lax rats” of the world, who want to learn the most about lacrosse, gravitate toward Syracuse and Gait, she said. Treanor said that playing under Gait was one of the major reasons she wanted to play at Syracuse.

Gait also helps his former players improve their programs’ recruiting process, said Katie Rowan Thomson, UAlbany’s head coach and Syracuse’s all-time points leader. Gait had conversations with his former players about recruiting so they’d know what to look for in players and how to find the right players.

“He always wanted to hear what I was looking for in a program and help reach my goals,” Rowan Thomson said. “I know he’s only a phone call away.”

On April 13, Rowan Thomson faced Gait for the third time when UAlbany fell to Syracuse 16-6. Rowan Thomson said that it’s fun to face her former coach and team, but preparing for a game against Gait’s Orange can be difficult because of the amount of starpower on his team.

“It’s really special for me to prepare for them and play against them,” Rowan Thomson said. “It’s an honor even though it’s a challenge.”

Several former SU players across the country have stepped into coaching roles recently, Treanor said. They still keep in touch through a GroupMe, congratulating each other on successes, such as when Rowan Thomson and Drexel head coach Jill Batcheller earned Coach of the Year honors in their respective conferences. 

“It’s pretty amazing what the Syracuse alumni are doing in coaching,” Treanor said. “It’s really special.”